Luk Warlop obtained a master degree in (organizational) psychology (1986) and an MBA (1988) at the KU Leuven, and a PhD in marketing (1995) at the University of Florida. He studies individual consumer decision making and the social psychology of consumer behavior. His research has been published in J. Consumer Research, J. Marketing Research, J. Consumer Psychology, Int. J. Research in Marketing, J. Accounting Research, Management Science, J. Service Research, J. Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Science, and several others. His work has been recognized with a best paper award and an long term impact award at the International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM), and with an IgNobel Prize. He is currently Senior Editor at IJRM and the president of the European Marketing Academy (2018-2021).
Augmented reality mirrors are popular marketing tools that allow virtual try-on of products, such as makeup. We study how such sensory experiences affect consumer perception of the self, specifically the gap between actual and ideal attractiveness, and we conceptualise this change as augmented self. Over three lab experiments we show that viewing oneself in an AR mirror (as opposed to the regular mirror) affects the ideal-actual attractiveness gap and that this effect differs depending on a consumer’s self-esteem. Furthermore, we uncover that ideal self-congruence mediates this process. We also demonstrate that augmentation significantly changes variety-seeking. An additional survey-based study shows downstream effects of ideal self-congruence and ideal-actual gap on product choice and psychological well-being. While commercial immersive technologies are deployed to generate responses related to brands and products, this study demonstrates that the effects extend to consumers’ self-concept. We offer implications for academics and practitioners in marketing and human–computer interaction.
Service industries require rapid innovations in their service portfolios to gain and maintain competitive advantages. Service elimination is a potential tool for portfolio renewal, though it might threaten increased defection rates. To contribute to both service elimination and customer defection literature, this paper proposes a model of customer responses to service elimination, with practical implications for decision-makers in rapidly innovating telecommunication markets. In particular, the main study, conducted in the context of Hungary’s telecommunications sector, reveals that customers’ tenure, usage intensity, and age reduce the negative effects of a price increase on their defection; the price increase, degree to which customers interact with service providers, customer defection, and competitive effects in turn increase post–service elimination usage intensity. These findings suggest implementation strategies that can reduce customer defection following price increase due to service elimination, by focusing on new customers, light users, and the quality of customer interactions.
Cooperative motivation can be rooted in individual differences as well as in external factors, such as instructions from superiors, incentive schemes, policy agendas, or social relationships. Whereas cooperative motivation has generally been found to increase trust, in five studies conducted across different contexts (scenario-based, online with monetary consequences that were contingent on participants' decisions, in-class and laboratory face-to face negotiations), convergent evidence was found showing that trustees were trusted more when they were externally motivated to act cooperatively (vs. individualistically), though only when they already had a prosocial (vs. proself) social value orientation – i.e., internally driven positive care for others' (vs. their own) well-being. This finding was observed even when trustors had no explicit information about whether or how trustees were motivated by internal or external factors. The mediation analyses indicate that this effect is driven by trustors' perceptions of trustees' authenticity. Taken together, insight into how trustees' personalities and situations interact in predicting the level of trust granted to them is provided.
Because negotiation is an integral part of social life, negotiators with different social motives are likely to meet. When this happens, will they be able to handle their differences constructively? We examined the relations between dyads’ social motive composition (cooperative, individualistic, or mixed), negotiation behavior, and economic and relational outcomes. In a laboratory experiment, 108 simulated negotiations were audiotaped, transcribed and coded. For economic outcomes, mixed dyads achieved higher profits than cooperative and individualistic dyads did, and this effect was mediated mainly by the negotiators’ problem-solving strategies. For relational outcomes, mixed and cooperative dyads experienced higher relational capital than individualistic dyads did, and this effect was mediated mainly by relationship management strategies. A follow-up survey conducted seven months later revealed that relational capital persisted over time. Overall, the results indicate that mixed-dyad negotiations between individualists and cooperators may bring out the best in both types of negotiators, making these dyads more successful than homogenous dyads.
Denis, Etienne; Pecheux, Claude & Warlop, Luk (2020)
When Public Recognition Inhibits Prosocial Behavior: The Case of Charitable Giving
Commonly regarded as an important driver of donation behavior, public recognition also can reduce donations. With three studies, this research manipulates whether donors receive public, private, imposed, or optional forms of recognition; the results show that the influence of recognition on the decision to donate is moderated by donors’ need for social approval. Whereas public recognition improves charitable giving among people with higher need for approval, imposing recognition reduces donations among people with lower need, suggesting a potential crowding-out effect on prior motives (Study 1). This penalty for public recognition disappears when the public recognition is optional (Study 2). When public recognition is saliently imposed (not requested), donation likelihood increases, suggesting that donors’ potential concerns about observers’ suspicion of their true motives is reduced (Study 3). This research highlights conditions in which public recognition encourages charitable giving and paves the way for further research on social dimensions of generosity.
Zhao, Dongxing; Moeini-Jazani, Mehrad, Weltens, Nathalie, Van Gils, Michelle, Tack, Jan, Warlop, Luk & Van Oudenhove, Lukas (2020)
Subliminal fatty acid-induced gut-brain signals attenuate sensitivity to exteroceptive rewards in food but not in sex or financial domains, in healthy men
Background: Reward sensitivity can generalize across domains, but evidence for generalization of suppressive reward-related stimulation is sparse, especially in the context of interoceptive nutrient-related stimuli. We hypothesized that subliminal fatty acid-induced gut-brain signals could attenuate sensitivity to exteroceptive rewards, not only within the food domain but also across domains. Method: Intragastric infusion of 2.5g lauric acid (fat condition) or saline (saline condition) was administered to 59 healthy heterosexual male volunteers in a blinded fashion. To assess whether the resulting interoceptive signals attenuate reward sensitivity within the food domain, participants rated the palatability of food images and performed a progressive ratio task. To assess whether such attenuation effect generalizes to the sexual and financial reward domains, participants rated attractiveness of female face images and performed an intertemporal monetary choice task. Results: Participants’ ratings of food images were lower (F1,172 = 4.51, p=0.035, Cohen's d: -0.20) in the fat condition. The progressive ratio task terminated earlier in the fat condition compared to saline (F1,52 = 4.17, p=0.046, odds ratio = 0.31, 95%CI [0.11, 0.98]). Participants’ ratings of female face images did not differ between conditions (F1,172 = 1.85, p = 0.19, Cohen's d: -0.15). Moreover, the monetary discounting rate did not differ significantly between conditions. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest a domain-specific effect of subliminal fatty acid infusion on decreasing reward sensitivity.
AlBalooshi, Sumaya; Moeini-Jazani, Mehrad, Fennis, Bob M. & Warlop, Luk (2020)
Reinstating the resourceful self: When and how self-affirmations improve executive performance of the powerless
Research has found that lack of power impairs executive functions. In the present research, we show that this impairment is not immutable. Across three studies and focusing on inhibitory control as one of the core facets of executive functions, our investigation shows that self-affirmation attenuates the previously documented decrements in inhibitory control of the powerless (Studies 1-3). We also examine boundary conditions of this effect and demonstrate that self-affirmation is most effective insofar as the powerless lack self-esteem (Study 2). Finally, we directly test the underlying process of this effect and demonstrate that self-affirmation increases an efficacious self-view among the powerless, which in turn improves their inhibitory control abilities (Study 3). Overall, we conclude that reinstating an efficacious self-view through self-affirmation offsets the impairments in inhibitory control abilities of the powerless and reduces the cognitive performance gap between the powerless and the powerful.
Four studies provide evidence for a process by which a woman’s conspicuous consumption can serve as a deterrent to affiliative behaviors by materialistic men, via heightened perceptions of the woman’s financial standards for a romantic partner. Materialistic men report utilizing status and resources to attract women more than non-materialistic men. Materialistic men may therefore utilize information about a woman’s status-linked displays to better calibrate their financially-oriented mating efforts. Differential attention to more subtle displays of a woman’s luxury branded items appears to drive materialistic men’s disinterest in social interaction with a woman who conspicuously consumes. A woman’s conspicuous consumption causes materialistic men to rate a real interaction with that woman less favorably. For women, the opposite is observed, with non-materialistic women reacting more negatively to the interaction.
Although access-based services (ABS) offer many benefits, convincing consumers to use these service innovations remains challenging. Research suggests that contamination concerns are an important barrier to consumer adoption of ABS; they arise when a person believes someone else has touched an object and transferred residue or germs. However, systematic examination of this phenomenon is lacking. We conduct four experiments to determine (1) the impact of contamination concerns on consumer evaluations of ABS, (2) when such concerns become salient in ABS, and (3) how ABS providers can reduce these concerns. The results reveal that consumers experience more contamination concerns about objects used in proximity to their bodies, especially when those objects are shared with unfamiliar users, and that such concerns negatively influence their evaluations of ABS. Consumers also exhibit less contamination concerns about ABS that have high brand equity, because of their elevated stereotype-related perceptions of the competence of those users. Firms’ advertisements depicting physical contact between shared objects and other users negatively influence ABS evaluations by consumers whose contamination concept is activated. This article provides insights for developing product, branding, and communication strategies to reduce consumers’ contamination concerns and maximizing ABS adoption.
Zhao, Dongxing; Corsetti, Maura, Moeini-Jazani, Mehrad, Weltens, Nathalie, Tuk, Mirjam A., Tack, Jan, Warlop, Luk & Van Oudenhove, Lukas (2019)
Defecatory urge increases cognitive control and intertemporal patience in healthy volunteers
Past research has demonstrated that moderate urge to urinate improves inhibitory control, specifically among participants with higher behavioral inhibition sensitivity system (BIS), and the effect was absent when the urge exceeded intolerable level. The present research examines whether rectal distension-induced urge to defecate has similar effects. Moderate and high defecatory urge was induced by rectal distension in healthy volunteers (n=35), while they completed Stroop tasks and monetary delay discounting tasks. The difference of average reaction time between incongruent and congruent trials in the Stroop task (Stroop interference) and the preference for larger-later rewards in the delay discounting tasks were analyzed as the primary outcomes. Participants with high BIS sensitivity (n=17) showed greater ability to inhibit their automatic response tendencies, as indexed by their Stroop interference, under moderate-urge relative to no-urge condition (128±41 ms vs. 202±37 ms, t64=-2.07; p=0.021, Cohen’s d: -0.44), but not relative to high-urge condition (154±45 ms, t64=-1.20; p=0.12, Cohen’s d: -0.30). High-BIS participants also showed higher preference for larger-later reward in the delay discounting task under high (odds ratio = 1.51 [1.02–2.25], p=0.039) relative to no-urge condition, but not relative to moderate-urge condition (odds ratio = 1.02 [0.73–1.42], p = 0.91) In contrast, rectal distension did not influence performance on either of the tasks for participants with low BIS sensitivity (n=18). These findings may be interpreted as a ‘spill-over’ effect of inhibition of the urge to defecate to volitional cognitive control among healthy participants with high BIS sensitivity.
Companies commit considerable resources to building brand associations that resonate with consumers’ identities and facilitate strong consumer–brand bonds. The current research investigates a potential disadvantage of this popular strategy. The results from three studies show that consumers with a high degree of self‐brand connection respond negatively to brand developments (e.g., brand acquisitions and repositioning) that change brand meaning. The authors show that this effect is due to a change in the identity signaled by the brand. The results contrast with existing research, which has consistently found that brand connections promote probrand behavior and serve as a buffer against negative brand information.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show that high similarity between a parent brand and an extension category can have a detrimental effect on how a brand extension is perceived to perform on specific attributes. This happens because similarity influences the perceived positioning of a brand extension: lower similarity extensions can be perceived as “specialized” products, whereas high similarity extensions are perceived as “all-in-one” products not performing exceptionally well on any specific attribute. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the hypothesized effect through three experimental studies. The authors manipulate similarity both within subjects (Study 1a) and between subjects (Study 1b and Study 2). Further, the authors test the effect for specific attributes that are physical/concrete in nature (Study 1a and Study 1b) as well as attributes that are abstract/imagery-related in nature (Study 2). Findings High compared to low similarity improves perceptions of overall performance (i.e. performance across all attributes). But as expected, the authors also find that a high similarity brand extension is perceived to perform worse on the attribute on which a low similarity brand extension specializes, even when the parent brands of the extensions possess that attribute to the same extent. This perception of attribute performance carries on to influence brand extension purchase likelihood. Practical implications The degree of brand extension similarity has consequences for how brand extensions are perceived to be positioned in the marketplace. Although high similarity extensions receive positive evaluations, they might not be suitable when a company is trying to instil a perception of exceptional performance on a specific attribute. Originality/value The authors demonstrate a consequential exception to the marketing wisdom that brands should extend to similar categories. Although the degree of brand extension similarity has been repeatedly shown to have a positive effect on brand extension evaluation, the authors document a case when its effect is actually detrimental. This study’s focus on the dependent variable of perceived performance on specific attributes is novel in the brand extension literature.
Ryckmans, Jan; Millet, Kobe & Warlop, Luk (2015)
The Influence of Facial Characteristics on the Relation between Male 2D:4D and Dominance
Although relations between 2D:4D and dominance rank in both baboons and rhesus macaques have been observed, evidence in humans is mixed. Whereas behavioral patterns in humans have been discovered that are consistent with these animal findings, the evidence for a relation between dominance and 2D:4D is weak or inconsistent. The present study provides experimental evidence that male 2D:4D is related to dominance after (fictitious) male-male interaction when the other man has a dominant, but not a submissive or neutral face. This finding provides evidence that the relationship between 2D:4D and dominance emerges in particular, predictable situations and that merely dominant facial characteristics of another person are enough to activate supposed relationships between 2D:4D and dominance.
Because trust-related issues inherently involve uncertainty, we expected individuals’ social-cognitive motivation to manage uncertainty—which is captured by their need for closure—to influence their level of trust in others. Through the results of 6 studies, we showed that higher need for closure was related to more polarized trust judgments (i.e., low trust in distant others and high trust in close others) in the case of both chronic and situational need for closure. Moreover, participants with high need for closure did not revise their level of trust when they received feedback about the trustees’ actual trustworthiness, whereas participants with low need for closure did. Overall, our findings indicate that polarized (either high or low, as opposed to moderate) and persistent levels of trust may serve people’s seizing and freezing needs for achieving cognitive closure. Keywords: need for closure, trust, uncertainty, interpersonal closeness
Trendel, Olivier & Warlop, Luk (2013)
Mémorisation des parrains : l’influence de la congruence du parrainage réexaminée à l’aide du modèle de flexibilité de l’encodage
Plusieurs études ont montré qu’un parrainage congruent conduit à une meilleure mémorisation du parrain. L’expérience menée ici démontre qu’une marque est mieux identifiée après un parrainage peu congruent et qu’en outre, pour un niveau faible d’opportunité à traiter le parrainage, les concurrents du parrain peu congruents sont quant à eux moins bien identifiés.
Priming Consumers with Baby-related Cues Induces Impatience
[Academic lecture]. SCP Winter Conference.
Previous studies have shown that activation of a general reward system promotes preference for irrelevant rewarding items (Li 2008; Van den Bergh, Dewitte et al. 2008; Wadhwa, Shiv et al. 2008). Specifically, priming consumers with hot cues (have them touch bras or rate pictures of sexy women) led to steeper delay discounting of monetary rewards among male participants (Van den Bergh, Dewitte et al. 2008). Also, sampling a product, high in incentive value (e.g., Hawaiian Punch) increased preference for anything rewarding (e.g., food, drink) in both men and women (Wadhwa, Shiv et al. 2008). We build on these studies to demonstrate that priming consumers with baby-related cues will activate the general reward system, as evidenced by acts of generalized impulsiveness.
In 2 studies, we provide evidence that women show increased variety seeking across different reward domains when they are in the fertile phase of the ovulatory cycle. In study 1, women who were closer to ovulation showed more interest in dating a greater variety of potential mates. In study 2, women who were closer to ovulation selected greater variety among existing flavors of ice cream. To our knowledge, these findings are the first to show a relationship between fertility and variety seeking. We discuss possible explanations and the implications of these findings.
Solid Possessions: How Objects Reduce Psychological Distance to Intangible Meanings
[Academic lecture]. EMAC conference.
Consumers frequently rely on objects (i.e., their possessions) for building a sense of self or for “extending” their selves. In this research, we examine if and to what extent the tangibility of objects is related to their self-extending function. Specifically, we argue that objects that signify an intangible meaning may decrease the psychological distance between the self and the meaning. Two studies provide converging support for this prediction. Study 2 further shows that consumers develop a greater attachment to an object that signifies a meaning which is (1) not directly experienceable and (2) personally relevant to them.
Lopez, Ines; Ruiz, Salvador & Warlop, Luk (2013)
Looking for Revenge? Talk to a Stranger
[Academic lecture]. EMAC conference.
When consumers are confronted with a negative consumption episode, they strongly tend to share their experience with others. This sharing process may influence the overall evaluation of the episode. In this paper, we analyze the effect of tie strength (the type of addressee consumers share the consumption episode with) and their interest in the product on the formation of the satisfaction response. The analysis reveals that strangers are better addressees than friends. Our results show that satisfaction is higher when the addressee is interested in the product, while anger mediates the effect of addressee and interest on the product on satisfaction. Additionally, our findings also demonstrate that the desire for revenge acts as a moderator in the relationship between anger and satisfaction.
Lopez, Ines; Ruiz, Salvador & Warlop, Luk (2013)
Consumers’ Catharsis and Service Failure: The Moderating Role of Stability Attributions and Regulatory Focus